BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>&nbsp;

Emily Tavis was on a first date in December when she looked up and realized they were driving past the downtown Kansas City, Missouri, intersection where a bullet ripped through her leg at last year’s Super Bowl victory parade.

“Oh f—,” Tavis said, bewildering her date.

She lives 35 miles away in Leavenworth, Kansas, and hadn’t yet returned to Union Station, where the mass shooting happened. She felt like crying. Or maybe it was a panic attack. She held up a finger signaling to her date that she needed a moment. That’s when it hit him, too.

“Oh crap, I didn’t even realize,” he said, and kept driving in silence.

Tavis sucked in her tears until the station was out of view.

“So anyway,” she said aloud, while thinking to herself, “way to go. Panic attack, first date.”

A year after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed one and injured at least 24 people, the survivors and their families are still reeling. Relationships have strained. Parents are anxious about their children. The generous financial support and well wishes that poured through in early days have now dried up. And they’re ambivalent about the team they all root for; as the Chiefs moved on to another Super Bowl, many wondered why their beloved team hasn’t acknowledged what they have all been going through.

“I can’t believe the Chiefs didn’t do anything for us,” said Jacob Gooch Sr., who was shot in the foot. The team, the owner family’s foundation, and the National Football League gave a combined $200,000 to a fund for survivors, but Gooch said no one from the organization reached out to his family, three members of whom were shot.

What’s happening to these families is far from unusual. Many survivors emotionally freeze as a coping mechanism to avoid fully feeling the trauma they suffered. But with time, survivors experience what therapists call “thawing,” and the intensity of what happened can suddenly overpower them like it did Tavis.

“Trauma pulls us into the past,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-behrman-20322b7/" target="_blank">Gary Behrman</a>, a therapist who published a&nbsp;<a href="https://cretscmhd.psych.ucla.edu/nola/volunteer/EmpiricalStudies/Post-trauma%20intervention%20-%20basic%20tasks.pdf" target="_blank">model of crisis intervention</a>&nbsp;based on his work with witnesses of the 9/11 attacks in New York.

Sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and touches can all trigger flashbacks that shut down the brain like an overloaded circuit breaker. It’s a survival response, Behrman said; the brain is a friend.

The key to recovery is to help survivors find healthy ways to manage those triggers — when they are ready.

Survivors thaw at their own pace. Regaining control after a life-threatening event is a process that can take weeks, months, or years.

It can be hard not to feel forgotten when life carries on around them. As fans rallied around the Chiefs this season, survivors found it hard to watch the games. The Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Philadelphia will hold its own parade on Friday, exactly one year after the shooting.

“It sucks because everybody else went on,” Jason Barton said. He performed CPR on a man he now thinks was one of the alleged shooters, his wife found a bullet slug in her backpack, and his stepdaughter was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet.

“If we were on the other side of that place, we would too,” he said. “It wouldn’t have affected us.”

Tavis isn’t the only survivor to have found herself unintentionally back at Union Station in the year since the shooting. Kids had field trips to Science City, located inside the station. Follow-up doctor visits were often on nearby Hospital Hill. An October dinner organized for survivors by a local faith-based group was less than a mile away, prompting one young survivor to decline the invitation.

Tavis had planned to return to Union Station as part of her healing process. She thought she would go on the one-year mark to have a moment alone to feel whatever emotions swept over her there.

Maybe God was showing her she was ready by placing her back there unexpectedly, her therapist told her. Maybe. But she didn’t feel ready in that moment.

Tavis wanted to see a therapist right after the shooting. But she didn’t seek one out until July, after the local United Way&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/kcstrong-fund-gunshot-victims-2-million-dollars/" target="_blank">distributed financial assistance</a>&nbsp;to survivors and relieved the months-long financial strain of lost work and medical bills incurred by many. Tavis and her partner at the time had&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/super-bowl-parade-shooting-survivors-donations-bills-wait-kansas-city/" target="_blank">taken out</a>&nbsp;an extra credit card to cover expenses while they waited for the promised help.

After two months of visits, her therapist started prepping Tavis for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a technique to help trauma survivors. She now spends every other session making her way through a spreadsheet of memories from the parade, visualizing and reprocessing them one by one.

She’s nervous as the one-year mark approaches. It’s on Valentine’s Day, and she worries it’ll be depressing.

She decided to invite Gooch, her former partner, to come to Union Station with her that day. Despite everything, he’s the one who understands. They were at the parade together with their son and Jacob’s two older kids. Both Gooch Sr. and his older son, Jacob Gooch Jr., were also shot.

Gooch Sr. hasn’t worked since the parade. His job required standing for 10-hour shifts four days a week, but he couldn’t walk for months after a bullet shattered a bone in his foot and it slowly fused back together. He hoped to go back to work in July. But his foot didn’t heal correctly and he had surgery in August, followed by weeks of recovery.

His short-term disability ran out, as did his health insurance through work. His employer held his job for a while before releasing him in August. He’s applied for other jobs in and around Leavenworth: production, staffing agencies, auto repair. Nothing’s come through.

“We’ve all gone through problems, not just me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I got shot in my foot and haven’t worked for a year. There are people that have been through much worse stuff over the past year.”

He feels good walking now and can run short distances without pain. But he doesn’t know if he’ll ever play football again, a mainstay of his life since he can remember. He played safety for the semiprofessional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcreapersfootball.com/" target="_blank">Kansas City Reapers</a>&nbsp;and, before the parade, the 38-year-old was considering making the 2024 season his last as a player.

“A lot more than football has been stolen from me in this last year. Like my whole life has been stolen from me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I really hate that part of it.”

And those emotions are painfully real. Trauma threatens our beliefs about ourselves, said Behrman, the therapist. Every person brings their own history to a traumatic event, a different identity that risks being shattered. The healing work that comes later often involves letting go and building something new.

Recently Gooch Sr. started going to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faithwalkersoutreach.com/" target="_blank">new church</a>, led by the husband of someone he sang with in a children’s choir growing up. At a Sunday service this month, the pastor spoke about finding a path when you’re lost.

“I’m looking for the path. I’m in the grass right now,” Gooch Sr. said at his home later that evening.

“I’m obviously on a path, but I don’t know where I’m headed.”

Every day before Jason Barton goes to work, he asks his wife, Bridget, if he should stay home with her.

She’s said yes enough that he’s out of paid time off. Jason, who’s survived cancer and a heart attack, had to take unpaid leave in January when a bad case of the flu put him in the hospital. That’s real love, Bridget said with tearful eyes, sitting with Jason and her 14-year-old daughter, Gabriella, in their home in Osawatomie, Kansas.

Bridget has connected with the mother of another girl injured in the shooting. They’ve exchanged texts and voicemails throughout the year. It’s nice to have someone to talk to who gets it, Bridget said. They’re hoping to get the girls together to build a connection as well.

Except for a trip to therapy once a week, Bridget doesn’t leave the house much anymore. It can feel like a prison, she said, but she’s too scared to leave. “It’s my own internal hell,” she said. She keeps thinking about that bullet slug that lodged in her backpack. What if she’d been standing differently? What if they’d left 10 seconds earlier? Would things be different?

A Post-it note in her kitchen reminds her: “I’m safe. Gabriella is safe. I did the best I could.”

She carries a lot of guilt. About Jason staying home. About not leaving the house, even to see her grandkids. About wanting the family to go to the parade in the first place. At the same time, she knows she kind of thrived in the chaos after the shooting, taking charge of her daughter, talking to the police. It’s confusing.

The family has carried the trauma differently. In the six months after the parade, Jason watched reality TV shows that kept him out of his head — 23 seasons of “Deadliest Catch” and 21 seasons of “Gold Rush,” including spinoffs, he estimated. Lately he’s kept his mind occupied with a new hobby: building model cars and planes. He just finished a black 1968 Shelby Mustang, and next is an F4U-4 Corsair plane that Bridget got him.

Gabriella was unfazed about returning to Union Station for a class field trip to Science City, but she was startled when she saw a group of police officers inside the station. Her mom watched her location on her phone and texted her all day.

Gabriella took up boxing after the parade, then switched to wrestling. It had been going well, even felt empowering. But she’s stopped going, and Bridget thinks it’s partly due to the emotion of the anniversary — the first is always the hardest, her therapist said. Gabriella insisted that wrestling was just exhausting her.

Because they weren’t shot, the family didn’t benefit from resources available to other survivors. They understand that other families are recovering from bullet wounds or even mourning a death.

Still, it would be nice to have some acknowledgment of their emotional trauma. Their names have been in the news. You’d think the Chiefs would have at least sent a letter saying, “We’re sorry this happened to you,” Jason said.

Jason proposed to Bridget at a Chiefs game. Now watching games on TV triggers flashbacks.

“I want to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom again,” Bridget said, “but I just can’t. And that is a huge, really lonely feeling.”

‘There is a word called “resilience”’

One evening last October, survivors gathered with their families at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Kansas City.

Some came dressed in their Sunday best, some in red football jerseys. All ages, toddlers to 70-somethings, some from Missouri, some from Kansas. Some spoke only Spanish, some only English. Most of the two dozen people had never met before. But as they talked, they discovered the shooting that binds them also gave them a common language.

Two young boys realized they’d tossed a football during the jubilation before the violence erupted. A woman in her early 70s named Sarai Holguin remembered watching them play on that warm February day. After a blessing and dinner, Holguin, who was shot in the knee and has had four surgeries, stood to address the room.

“I was the first victim taken to the medical tent,” she said in Spanish, her words translated by a relative of another survivor. She saw everything, she explained, as, one by one, more survivors were brought to the tent for treatment, including Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother who was killed that day.

Yet in that tragedy, Holguin saw the beauty of people helping one another.

“This showed us that humanity is still alive, that love is still alive. There is a word called ‘resilience,’” Holguin said, the translator stumbling to understand the last word, as people in the audience caught it and shouted it out. “Resilience.”

“This word helps us overcome the problems we face,” Holguin said. “To try to put the tragic moment we all lived behind us and move on, we must remember the beautiful moments.”

This&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/the-injured-kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-survivors-one-year-anniversary-trauma/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739298705005.png" alt="Emily Tavis in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Feb. 2. Tavis has been rebuilding her sense of safety and stability in the year since she was shot in the leg at last year’s Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News)." />
 <figcaption>Emily Tavis in Leavenworth, Kansas, on Feb. 2. Tavis has been rebuilding her sense of safety and stability in the year since she was shot in the leg at last year’s Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>&nbsp;Emily Tavis was on a first date in December when she looked up and realized they were driving past the downtown Kansas City, Missouri, intersection where a bullet ripped through her leg at last year’s Super Bowl victory parade.“Oh f—,” Tavis said, bewildering her date.She lives 35 miles away in Leavenworth, Kansas, and hadn’t yet returned to Union Station, where the mass shooting happened. She felt like crying. Or maybe it was a panic attack. She held up a finger signaling to her date that she needed a moment. That’s when it hit him, too.“Oh crap, I didn’t even realize,” he said, and kept driving in silence.Tavis sucked in her tears until the station was out of view.“So anyway,” she said aloud, while thinking to herself, “way to go. Panic attack, first date.”A year after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed one and injured at least 24 people, the survivors and their families are still reeling. Relationships have strained. Parents are anxious about their children. The generous financial support and well wishes that poured through in early days have now dried up. And they’re ambivalent about the team they all root for; as the Chiefs moved on to another Super Bowl, many wondered why their beloved team hasn’t acknowledged what they have all been going through.“I can’t believe the Chiefs didn’t do anything for us,” said Jacob Gooch Sr., who was shot in the foot. The team, the owner family’s foundation, and the National Football League gave a combined $200,000 to a fund for survivors, but Gooch said no one from the organization reached out to his family, three members of whom were shot.What’s happening to these families is far from unusual. Many survivors emotionally freeze as a coping mechanism to avoid fully feeling the trauma they suffered. But with time, survivors experience what therapists call “thawing,” and the intensity of what happened can suddenly overpower them like it did Tavis.“Trauma pulls us into the past,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-behrman-20322b7/" target="_blank">Gary Behrman</a>, a therapist who published a&nbsp;<a href="https://cretscmhd.psych.ucla.edu/nola/volunteer/EmpiricalStudies/Post-trauma%20intervention%20-%20basic%20tasks.pdf" target="_blank">model of crisis intervention</a>&nbsp;based on his work with witnesses of the 9/11 attacks in New York.Sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and touches can all trigger flashbacks that shut down the brain like an overloaded circuit breaker. It’s a survival response, Behrman said; the brain is a friend.The key to recovery is to help survivors find healthy ways to manage those triggers — when they are ready.Survivors thaw at their own pace. Regaining control after a life-threatening event is a process that can take weeks, months, or years.It can be hard not to feel forgotten when life carries on around them. As fans rallied around the Chiefs this season, survivors found it hard to watch the games. The Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl. Philadelphia will hold its own parade on Friday, exactly one year after the shooting.“It sucks because everybody else went on,” Jason Barton said. He performed CPR on a man he now thinks was one of the alleged shooters, his wife found a bullet slug in her backpack, and his stepdaughter was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet.“If we were on the other side of that place, we would too,” he said. “It wouldn’t have affected us.”<h2>A trip back to Union Station</h2>Tavis isn’t the only survivor to have found herself unintentionally back at Union Station in the year since the shooting. Kids had field trips to Science City, located inside the station. Follow-up doctor visits were often on nearby Hospital Hill. An October dinner organized for survivors by a local faith-based group was less than a mile away, prompting one young survivor to decline the invitation.Tavis had planned to return to Union Station as part of her healing process. She thought she would go on the one-year mark to have a moment alone to feel whatever emotions swept over her there.Maybe God was showing her she was ready by placing her back there unexpectedly, her therapist told her. Maybe. But she didn’t feel ready in that moment.Tavis wanted to see a therapist right after the shooting. But she didn’t seek one out until July, after the local United Way&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/kcstrong-fund-gunshot-victims-2-million-dollars/" target="_blank">distributed financial assistance</a>&nbsp;to survivors and relieved the months-long financial strain of lost work and medical bills incurred by many. Tavis and her partner at the time had&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/super-bowl-parade-shooting-survivors-donations-bills-wait-kansas-city/" target="_blank">taken out</a>&nbsp;an extra credit card to cover expenses while they waited for the promised help.After two months of visits, her therapist started prepping Tavis for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a technique to help trauma survivors. She now spends every other session making her way through a spreadsheet of memories from the parade, visualizing and reprocessing them one by one.She’s nervous as the one-year mark approaches. It’s on Valentine’s Day, and she worries it’ll be depressing.She decided to invite Gooch, her former partner, to come to Union Station with her that day. Despite everything, he’s the one who understands. They were at the parade together with their son and Jacob’s two older kids. Both Gooch Sr. and his older son, Jacob Gooch Jr., were also shot.<h2>Trauma changes who we are</h2>Gooch Sr. hasn’t worked since the parade. His job required standing for 10-hour shifts four days a week, but he couldn’t walk for months after a bullet shattered a bone in his foot and it slowly fused back together. He hoped to go back to work in July. But his foot didn’t heal correctly and he had surgery in August, followed by weeks of recovery.His short-term disability ran out, as did his health insurance through work. His employer held his job for a while before releasing him in August. He’s applied for other jobs in and around Leavenworth: production, staffing agencies, auto repair. Nothing’s come through.“We’ve all gone through problems, not just me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I got shot in my foot and haven’t worked for a year. There are people that have been through much worse stuff over the past year.”He feels good walking now and can run short distances without pain. But he doesn’t know if he’ll ever play football again, a mainstay of his life since he can remember. He played safety for the semiprofessional&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcreapersfootball.com/" target="_blank">Kansas City Reapers</a>&nbsp;and, before the parade, the 38-year-old was considering making the 2024 season his last as a player.“A lot more than football has been stolen from me in this last year. Like my whole life has been stolen from me,” Gooch Sr. said. “I really hate that part of it.”And those emotions are painfully real. Trauma threatens our beliefs about ourselves, said Behrman, the therapist. Every person brings their own history to a traumatic event, a different identity that risks being shattered. The healing work that comes later often involves letting go and building something new.Recently Gooch Sr. started going to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.faithwalkersoutreach.com/" target="_blank">new church</a>, led by the husband of someone he sang with in a children’s choir growing up. At a Sunday service this month, the pastor spoke about finding a path when you’re lost.“I’m looking for the path. I’m in the grass right now,” Gooch Sr. said at his home later that evening.“I’m obviously on a path, but I don’t know where I’m headed.”<h2>‘I did the best I could’</h2>Every day before Jason Barton goes to work, he asks his wife, Bridget, if he should stay home with her.She’s said yes enough that he’s out of paid time off. Jason, who’s survived cancer and a heart attack, had to take unpaid leave in January when a bad case of the flu put him in the hospital. That’s real love, Bridget said with tearful eyes, sitting with Jason and her 14-year-old daughter, Gabriella, in their home in Osawatomie, Kansas.Bridget has connected with the mother of another girl injured in the shooting. They’ve exchanged texts and voicemails throughout the year. It’s nice to have someone to talk to who gets it, Bridget said. They’re hoping to get the girls together to build a connection as well.Except for a trip to therapy once a week, Bridget doesn’t leave the house much anymore. It can feel like a prison, she said, but she’s too scared to leave. “It’s my own internal hell,” she said. She keeps thinking about that bullet slug that lodged in her backpack. What if she’d been standing differently? What if they’d left 10 seconds earlier? Would things be different?A Post-it note in her kitchen reminds her: “I’m safe. Gabriella is safe. I did the best I could.”She carries a lot of guilt. About Jason staying home. About not leaving the house, even to see her grandkids. About wanting the family to go to the parade in the first place. At the same time, she knows she kind of thrived in the chaos after the shooting, taking charge of her daughter, talking to the police. It’s confusing.The family has carried the trauma differently. In the six months after the parade, Jason watched reality TV shows that kept him out of his head — 23 seasons of “Deadliest Catch” and 21 seasons of “Gold Rush,” including spinoffs, he estimated. Lately he’s kept his mind occupied with a new hobby: building model cars and planes. He just finished a black 1968 Shelby Mustang, and next is an F4U-4 Corsair plane that Bridget got him.Gabriella was unfazed about returning to Union Station for a class field trip to Science City, but she was startled when she saw a group of police officers inside the station. Her mom watched her location on her phone and texted her all day.Gabriella took up boxing after the parade, then switched to wrestling. It had been going well, even felt empowering. But she’s stopped going, and Bridget thinks it’s partly due to the emotion of the anniversary — the first is always the hardest, her therapist said. Gabriella insisted that wrestling was just exhausting her.Because they weren’t shot, the family didn’t benefit from resources available to other survivors. They understand that other families are recovering from bullet wounds or even mourning a death.Still, it would be nice to have some acknowledgment of their emotional trauma. Their names have been in the news. You’d think the Chiefs would have at least sent a letter saying, “We’re sorry this happened to you,” Jason said.Jason proposed to Bridget at a Chiefs game. Now watching games on TV triggers flashbacks.“I want to be a part of Chiefs Kingdom again,” Bridget said, “but I just can’t. And that is a huge, really lonely feeling.”<h2>‘There is a word called “resilience”’</h2>One evening last October, survivors gathered with their families at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Kansas City.Some came dressed in their Sunday best, some in red football jerseys. All ages, toddlers to 70-somethings, some from Missouri, some from Kansas. Some spoke only Spanish, some only English. Most of the two dozen people had never met before. But as they talked, they discovered the shooting that binds them also gave them a common language.Two young boys realized they’d tossed a football during the jubilation before the violence erupted. A woman in her early 70s named Sarai Holguin remembered watching them play on that warm February day. After a blessing and dinner, Holguin, who was shot in the knee and has had four surgeries, stood to address the room.“I was the first victim taken to the medical tent,” she said in Spanish, her words translated by a relative of another survivor. She saw everything, she explained, as, one by one, more survivors were brought to the tent for treatment, including Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother who was killed that day.Yet in that tragedy, Holguin saw the beauty of people helping one another.“This showed us that humanity is still alive, that love is still alive. There is a word called ‘resilience,’” Holguin said, the translator stumbling to understand the last word, as people in the audience caught it and shouted it out. “Resilience.”“This word helps us overcome the problems we face,” Holguin said. “To try to put the tragic moment we all lived behind us and move on, we must remember the beautiful moments.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/the-injured-kansas-city-chiefs-parade-shooting-survivors-one-year-anniversary-trauma/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

A year after KC Super Bowl parade shooting, trauma freeze gives way to turmoil for survivors

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a woman's murder have made an arrest.

On Thanksgiving Day November 28, 2024, deputies in Shawnee County began an investigation into the death of 50-year-old Monica B. McKay of Tecumseh, Kansas, after she was found deceased at her home, according to Shawnee County Sheriff Brian Hill.

On February 11, the Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division arrested 53-year-old Brian P. McKay of Tecumseh in connection with her death. He is being held on requested charges of stalking, violation of a protection order, aggravated burglary and murder in the first-degree. The sheriff's office would not release details on the relationship between the suspect and victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739359538315.png" alt="McKay-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>McKay-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement investigating a woman's murder have made an arrest.On Thanksgiving Day November 28, 2024, deputies in Shawnee County began an investigation into the death of 50-year-old Monica B. McKay of Tecumseh, Kansas, after she was found deceased at her home, according to Shawnee County Sheriff Brian Hill.On February 11, the Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division arrested 53-year-old Brian P. McKay of Tecumseh in connection with her death. He is being held on requested charges of stalking, violation of a protection order, aggravated burglary and murder in the first-degree. The sheriff's office would not release details on the relationship between the suspect and victim.

Kansas man accused of woman's Thanksgiving Day murder

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph Post

It was an explosive, actually a World War I explosive, but it was inactive and posed no threat to the public.

The St. Joseph Police Department reports a fire station received an unusual visit by a woman carrying a World War I explosive devise she found among her father’s belongings. The woman wanted to know if the shell was safe.

The department says St. Joseph firefighters and police officers examined it and determined the shell to be a non-lethal projectile from a World War I-era weapon that posed no threat to the public.

The St. Joseph Police Department commended the woman for seeking guidance on the projectile rather than handling it on her own. The department urges the public to call 911 if they come upon similar devices so trained professionals can assess their lethality.

By BRENT MARTIN St. Joseph PostIt was an explosive, actually a World War I explosive, but it was inactive and posed no threat to the public.The St. Joseph Police Department reports a fire station received an unusual visit by a woman carrying a World War I explosive devise she found among her father’s belongings. The woman wanted to know if the shell was safe.The department says St. Joseph firefighters and police officers examined it and determined the shell to be a non-lethal projectile from a World War I-era weapon that posed no threat to the public.The St. Joseph Police Department commended the woman for seeking guidance on the projectile rather than handling it on her own. The department urges the public to call 911 if they come upon similar devices so trained professionals can assess their lethality.

Woman walked into fire station with WWI bomb

KANSAS CITY —It was a deadly Monday in Kansas City. Police are investigating two homicides and have identified the victims.

Just before 6p.m., patrol&nbsp; were dispatched to the 3400 block of Wyoming on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.&nbsp; Upon arrival officers located a man, later identified as 20-year-old Zykevious L. Crosby suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers began performing lifesaving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS transported the Crosby to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.

This is being investigated as a homicide. 

Preliminary information revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot between multiple individuals before shots were fired. Detectives are trying to determine what led up to the incident.

At about the same time, KCPD patrol officers were dispatched to the 8000 block of Hickman Mills on a reported medical nature unknown. Upon arrival officers located a man, later identified as 64-year-old Zulfiqar&nbsp;Ladhani, in the parking lot of a nearby convenience store. He suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS was ordered to the scene and Ladhani was subsequently pronounced deceased. This is also being investigated as a homicide.&nbsp; Police released no additional details late Tuesday and have not reported an arrest or possible suspect information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739240797760.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —It was a deadly Monday in Kansas City. Police are investigating two homicides and have identified the victims.Just before 6p.m., patrol&nbsp; were dispatched to the 3400 block of Wyoming on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.&nbsp; Upon arrival officers located a man, later identified as 20-year-old Zykevious L. Crosby suffering from a gunshot wound. Officers began performing lifesaving measures and ordered emergency medical personnel to the scene. EMS transported the Crosby to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased a short time later.This is being investigated as a homicide. Preliminary information revealed there was an altercation in the parking lot between multiple individuals before shots were fired. Detectives are trying to determine what led up to the incident.At about the same time, KCPD patrol officers were dispatched to the 8000 block of Hickman Mills on a reported medical nature unknown. Upon arrival officers located a man, later identified as 64-year-old Zulfiqar&nbsp;Ladhani, in the parking lot of a nearby convenience store. He suffering from a gunshot wound. EMS was ordered to the scene and Ladhani was subsequently pronounced deceased. This is also being investigated as a homicide.&nbsp; Police released no additional details late Tuesday and have not reported an arrest or possible suspect information.

Deadly Monday in Kansas City: Police ID two homicide victims

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's most powerful adviser, Elon Musk, made a rare public appearance at the White House on Tuesday to defend the swift and extensive cuts he's pushing across the federal government while acknowledging there have been mistakes and will be more.

Musk stood next to the Resolute Desk with his young son as Trump praised Musk's work with his Department of Government Efficiency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">to slash spending</a>&nbsp;and as the president signed an executive order to continue downsizing the federal workforce.

Despite concerns that he’s amassing unaccountable power&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-secrecy-68a66370cbc67c457e0a1c6edb08c5ef">with little transparency</a>, Musk described himself as an open book. He joked that the scrutiny over his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-21153a742fbad86284369bb173ec343c">sprawling influence over federal agencies</a>&nbsp;was like a “daily proctology exam.”

Despite Musk’s pledge to be “maximally transparent,” the White House on Tuesday fired the inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development, a day after the watchdog’s office warned that the DOGE-directed dismantling of USAID had made it all but impossible to monitor $8.2 billion in humanitarian funds.

Musk, taking questions from reporters for the first time since joining the Trump administration as a special government employee, defended DOGE's work as “common sense” and “not draconian or radical.”

“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” he said. “That’s what democracy is all about.”

Musk, the world’s richest person and the owner of the social media platform X, said that he was trying to be “as transparent as possible” and claimed that the organization's work was shared on X and on DOGE's website. However, the DOGE website has no information, and the postings on X are lacking many details, including which programs are being cut and where the organization has access.

Musk acknowledged, in response to a question, that some of the claims he's made about government programs and spending have been wrong.

“Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected. So nobody can bat 1,000,” he said, adding that he would act quickly to correct errors.

He acknowledged DOGE could be making errors as well.

“We are moving fast, so we will make mistakes, but we’ll also fix the mistakes very quickly,” Musk said.

Musk said there are some good people in the federal bureaucracy, but they need to be accountable. Musk referred to the federal bureaucracy as an “unelected” fourth branch that had “more power than any elected representative.”

Trump and Musk are pushing federal workers to resign in return for financial incentives, although their plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-federal-workers-doge-musk-buyout-522b13db0dac361a6225d289773f9c1d">is currently on hold</a>&nbsp;while a judge reviews its legality. The deferred resignation program, commonly described as a buyout, would allow employees to quit and still get paid until Sept. 30. Administration officials said more than 65,000 workers have taken the offer.

A White House fact sheet on the executive order Trump signed said that “agencies will undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force and determine which agency components (or agencies themselves) may be eliminated or combined because their functions aren’t required by law.”

It also said that agencies should “hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart from federal service.” There are plans for exceptions when it comes to immigration, law enforcement and public safety.

Hundreds of people gathered for a rally Tuesday across the street from the U.S. Capitol in support of federal workers.

Janet Connelly, a graphic designer with the Department of Energy, said she's fed up with emails from the Office of Personnel Management encouraging people to take the deferred resignation program.

She tried to use her spam settings to filter out the emails but to no avail. Connelly said she has no plans to take the offer.

“From the get-go, I didn’t trust it,” she said.

Connelly said she thinks of her work as trying to do an important service for the American public.

“It’s too easy to vilify us," she said.

Others have said fear and uncertainty have swept through the federal workforce.

“They’re worried about their jobs. They’re worried about their families. They’re also worried about their work and the communities they serve,” said Helen Bottcher, a former Environmental Protection Agency employee and current union leader in Seattle.

Bottcher participated in a press conference hosted by Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington.

Murray said workers “deserve better than to be threatened, intimidated and pushed out the door by Elon Musk and Donald Trump.” She also said that "we actually need these people to stay in their jobs or things are going to start breaking.”

A government lawyer, who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because of fears of retaliation, said it was a terrifying time to be a federal worker.

She said people are worried that their phones and computers are being monitored. She's a single mother with a young daughter, and her father is urging her to take a safer job in the private sector.

But she's skeptical of the deferred resignation program, emphasizing that accepting the offer means workers can't sue if they're not paid what they're promised.

Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle, Rebecca Santana in Washington and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md., contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's most powerful adviser, Elon Musk, made a rare public appearance at the White House on Tuesday to defend the swift and extensive cuts he's pushing across the federal government while acknowledging there have been mistakes and will be more.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Elon Musk: &quot;At a high level, if you say what is the goal of <a href="https://twitter.com/DOGE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DOGE</a> and a significant part of the presidency, is to restore democracy...&quot; <a href="https://t.co/kdvhYlfLo4">pic.twitter.com/kdvhYlfLo4</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1889427925746811110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Musk stood next to the Resolute Desk with his young son as Trump praised Musk's work with his Department of Government Efficiency&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ies-musk-doge-education-cuts-4461d7bdbe9d55c5a411d8465999b011">to slash spending</a>&nbsp;and as the president signed an executive order to continue downsizing the federal workforce.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;Your detractors...say that you&#39;re orchestrating a hostile takeover of government and doing it in a non-transparent way. What&#39;s your response to that criticism?&quot; Elon Musk: &quot;The people voted for major government reform and that&#39;s what people are going to get.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/RyugNN7ijt">pic.twitter.com/RyugNN7ijt</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1889428248091664441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Despite concerns that he’s amassing unaccountable power&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-secrecy-68a66370cbc67c457e0a1c6edb08c5ef">with little transparency</a>, Musk described himself as an open book. He joked that the scrutiny over his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-21153a742fbad86284369bb173ec343c">sprawling influence over federal agencies</a>&nbsp;was like a “daily proctology exam.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Q: &quot;How can we make sure that all the statements that you said were correct so we can trust what you say?&quot; Elon Musk: &quot;Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/bbVdkIeAkM">pic.twitter.com/bbVdkIeAkM</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1889430810257666359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Despite Musk’s pledge to be “maximally transparent,” the White House on Tuesday fired the inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development, a day after the watchdog’s office warned that the DOGE-directed dismantling of USAID had made it all but impossible to monitor $8.2 billion in humanitarian funds.Musk, taking questions from reporters for the first time since joining the Trump administration as a special government employee, defended DOGE's work as “common sense” and “not draconian or radical.”“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” he said. “That’s what democracy is all about.”Musk, the world’s richest person and the owner of the social media platform X, said that he was trying to be “as transparent as possible” and claimed that the organization's work was shared on X and on DOGE's website. However, the DOGE website has no information, and the postings on X are lacking many details, including which programs are being cut and where the organization has access.Musk acknowledged, in response to a question, that some of the claims he's made about government programs and spending have been wrong.“Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected. So nobody can bat 1,000,” he said, adding that he would act quickly to correct errors.He acknowledged DOGE could be making errors as well.“We are moving fast, so we will make mistakes, but we’ll also fix the mistakes very quickly,” Musk said.Musk said there are some good people in the federal bureaucracy, but they need to be accountable. Musk referred to the federal bureaucracy as an “unelected” fourth branch that had “more power than any elected representative.”Trump and Musk are pushing federal workers to resign in return for financial incentives, although their plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-federal-workers-doge-musk-buyout-522b13db0dac361a6225d289773f9c1d">is currently on hold</a>&nbsp;while a judge reviews its legality. The deferred resignation program, commonly described as a buyout, would allow employees to quit and still get paid until Sept. 30. Administration officials said more than 65,000 workers have taken the offer.A White House fact sheet on the executive order Trump signed said that “agencies will undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force and determine which agency components (or agencies themselves) may be eliminated or combined because their functions aren’t required by law.”It also said that agencies should “hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart from federal service.” There are plans for exceptions when it comes to immigration, law enforcement and public safety.Hundreds of people gathered for a rally Tuesday across the street from the U.S. Capitol in support of federal workers.Janet Connelly, a graphic designer with the Department of Energy, said she's fed up with emails from the Office of Personnel Management encouraging people to take the deferred resignation program.She tried to use her spam settings to filter out the emails but to no avail. Connelly said she has no plans to take the offer.“From the get-go, I didn’t trust it,” she said.Connelly said she thinks of her work as trying to do an important service for the American public.“It’s too easy to vilify us," she said.Others have said fear and uncertainty have swept through the federal workforce.“They’re worried about their jobs. They’re worried about their families. They’re also worried about their work and the communities they serve,” said Helen Bottcher, a former Environmental Protection Agency employee and current union leader in Seattle.Bottcher participated in a press conference hosted by Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington.Murray said workers “deserve better than to be threatened, intimidated and pushed out the door by Elon Musk and Donald Trump.” She also said that "we actually need these people to stay in their jobs or things are going to start breaking.”A government lawyer, who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because of fears of retaliation, said it was a terrifying time to be a federal worker.She said people are worried that their phones and computers are being monitored. She's a single mother with a young daughter, and her father is urging her to take a safer job in the private sector.But she's skeptical of the deferred resignation program, emphasizing that accepting the offer means workers can't sue if they're not paid what they're promised.The idea, she said, was insane._____Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle, Rebecca Santana in Washington and Brian Witte in Annapolis, Md., contributed to this report.

🎥Musk appears at White House defending DOGE's work 

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that caused thousands of dollars in damage at a warehouse in Topeka.

Just after 1a.m. Tuesday, firefighters were dispatched to a fire in a warehouse for Davin Electric at 2131 NE Grantville Road, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

First arriving crews found a large warehouse with heavy smoke. Firefighters extinguished the fire, keeping it contained to the building where it originated. No occupants were located at the time of the incident.

The total estimated loss associated with the fire is approximately $175,000, with $75,000 in property loss and $100,000 in content loss.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that caused thousands of dollars in damage at a warehouse in Topeka.Just after 1a.m. Tuesday, firefighters were dispatched to a fire in a warehouse for Davin Electric at 2131 NE Grantville Road, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.First arriving crews found a large warehouse with heavy smoke. Firefighters extinguished the fire, keeping it contained to the building where it originated. No occupants were located at the time of the incident.The total estimated loss associated with the fire is approximately $175,000, with $75,000 in property loss and $100,000 in content loss.There were no injuries reported.

$175,000 damage after fire at Kansas warehouse 

MEADE COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations in southwest Kansas.

This week, the Meade County sheriff's office reported that On January 17, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a 2009 Toyota Corolla in Meade County.&nbsp; The traffic stop led to the consensual search of the car. Deputies found 37-pounds of suspected fentanyl pills. 167,000 pills with a street value of approximately $850,000, according to the sheriff's office.

Deputies arrested 30-year-old Julio Beltran. He is not an American citizen, according to the sheriff's office.&nbsp; Beltran remains jail on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance,&nbsp; no drug tax stamp, use of a phone to commit a felony

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739187287106.png" alt="Photo Meade County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Meade County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>MEADE COUNTY — Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations in southwest Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739187270508.png" alt="Beltran photo Meade County" />
 <figcaption>Beltran photo Meade County</figcaption>
 </figure>This week, the Meade County sheriff's office reported that On January 17, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a 2009 Toyota Corolla in Meade County.&nbsp; The traffic stop led to the consensual search of the car. Deputies found 37-pounds of suspected fentanyl pills. 167,000 pills with a street value of approximately $850,000, according to the sheriff's office.Deputies arrested 30-year-old Julio Beltran. He is not an American citizen, according to the sheriff's office.&nbsp; Beltran remains jail on requested charges of distribution of a controlled substance,&nbsp; no drug tax stamp, use of a phone to commit a felony

Illegal immigrant caught with 167,000 fentanyl pills in SW Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was deemed wrongfully&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marc-fogel-russia-state-department-prisoner-swap-pennsylvania-putin-af3906fd2692d13ca168f507ef448fda">detained in Russia</a>, has been released, the White House announced on Tuesday.

Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, left Russian airspace with Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, and he's expected to be reunited with his family by the end of the day.

Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison system. His family and supporters said he had been traveling with medically prescribed marijuana, and he was designated by President Joe Biden’s administration as wrongfully detained in December.

Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, said the U.S. and Russia “negotiated an exchange” to ensure Fogel's release. He did not say what the U.S. side of the bargain entailed. Previous negotiations have occasionally involved reciprocal releases of Russians by the U.S. or its allies.

Waltz described the development as “a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.” Trump, a Republican, has promised to find a way to end the conflict.

Fogel's relatives said they were “beyond grateful, relieved and overwhelmed” that he was coming home.

“This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal,” they said. "For the first time in years, our family can look forward to the future with hope.”

There was no immediate comment from Moscow about Fogel’s release on Tuesday.

Other Americans also remain detained in Russia when they weren't included in a massive prisoner swap last August that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

Those include U.S.-Russian dual national&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-woman-arrest-russia-ukraine-3a121981719ed1904c0bbdbdb38f14ab">Ksenia Khavana</a>, who was convicted in August of treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. The Biden White House at the time called the conviction and sentencing “nothing less than vindictive cruelty.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was deemed wrongfully&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/marc-fogel-russia-state-department-prisoner-swap-pennsylvania-putin-af3906fd2692d13ca168f507ef448fda">detained in Russia</a>, has been released, the White House announced on Tuesday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;When I saw [Marc Fogel&#39;s] mother at a rally, she said, &#39;If you win, will you get my son out?&#39; I promised her—she’s 95 years old—and I said, &#39;We’ll get him out,&#39; and we got him out pretty quickly.&quot; –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/jQ681LMxgD">pic.twitter.com/jQ681LMxgD</a>&mdash; President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1889526448945307901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WELCOME HOME, MARC!🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/0b2Igcqudp">pic.twitter.com/0b2Igcqudp</a>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1889529852757201368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">MARC FOGEL IS BACK!!! 🇺🇸 PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!!! 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/ZMceoU0OfA">pic.twitter.com/ZMceoU0OfA</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1889505612792258637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, left Russian airspace with Fogel, a history teacher from Pennsylvania, and he's expected to be reunited with his family by the end of the day.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739304767115.png" alt="Marc Fogel on the flight home from Russia on Tuesday-photo by Adam Boehler, United States Envoy for Hostages." />
 <figcaption>Marc Fogel on the flight home from Russia on Tuesday-photo by Adam Boehler, United States Envoy for Hostages.</figcaption>
 </figure>Fogel was arrested in August 2021 and was serving a 14-year prison system. His family and supporters said he had been traveling with medically prescribed marijuana, and he was designated by President Joe Biden’s administration as wrongfully detained in December.Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, said the U.S. and Russia “negotiated an exchange” to ensure Fogel's release. He did not say what the U.S. side of the bargain entailed. Previous negotiations have occasionally involved reciprocal releases of Russians by the U.S. or its allies.Waltz described the development as “a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.” Trump, a Republican, has promised to find a way to end the conflict.Fogel's relatives said they were “beyond grateful, relieved and overwhelmed” that he was coming home.“This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal,” they said. "For the first time in years, our family can look forward to the future with hope.”There was no immediate comment from Moscow about Fogel’s release on Tuesday.Other Americans also remain detained in Russia when they weren't included in a massive prisoner swap last August that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.Those include U.S.-Russian dual national&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-woman-arrest-russia-ukraine-3a121981719ed1904c0bbdbdb38f14ab">Ksenia Khavana</a>, who was convicted in August of treason and sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges stemming from a donation of about $52 to a charity aiding Ukraine. The Biden White House at the time called the conviction and sentencing “nothing less than vindictive cruelty.”

White House: American teacher freed from Russian prison is home

DECATUR COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before noon Tuesday in Decatur County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1975 Ford Super Duty driven by&nbsp; Terrence W. Blackwill, 51, Norton, was westbound on U.S. 36 eight miles east of U.S. 83&nbsp; hauling heavy machinery. 

The vehicles tires locked up and the driver lost control. The truck slid into south ditch, started to roll and the trailer became detached. The heavy machinery came unsecured from the trailer and rolled and the trailer rolled.&nbsp; &nbsp;As the vehicle rolled the driver was ejected.

Trailer came to rest on its wheels and the heavy machinery came to rest on its roof.&nbsp;

Blackwill was pronounced dead a the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Plumer-Gobber Funeral Home.&nbsp; He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

DECATUR COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before noon Tuesday in Decatur County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1975 Ford Super Duty driven by&nbsp; Terrence W. Blackwill, 51, Norton, was westbound on U.S. 36 eight miles east of U.S. 83&nbsp; hauling heavy machinery. The vehicles tires locked up and the driver lost control. The truck slid into south ditch, started to roll and the trailer became detached. The heavy machinery came unsecured from the trailer and rolled and the trailer rolled.&nbsp; &nbsp;As the vehicle rolled the driver was ejected.Trailer came to rest on its wheels and the heavy machinery came to rest on its roof.&nbsp;Blackwill was pronounced dead a the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Plumer-Gobber Funeral Home.&nbsp; He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

NW Kansas man dies after truck, heavy machinery overturn

KANSAS CITY—A jury on Friday convicted a Kansas City area man of two felonies in connection with a fatal shooting in Raytown in 2021, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

The jury convicted 47-year-old Robert E. Matlock Jr. of 2nd Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action. The jury recommended 18 years for murder and seven years for Armed Criminal Action.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2499/RMatlock_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Raytown police were dispatched to the 7700 block of Raytown Road after receiving a call from Matlock, who said he had shot his roommate who lunged at him during an argument.

Police said the shooting happened at the home the two men shared as they argued over Matlock’s decision to place a lock on a door leading to Matlock’s medical marijuana kept in the garage..

 Police arrived at the residence and found the victim suffering from several gunshots.&nbsp; Matlock also showed police a video from his phone, showing him shooting the victim.&nbsp;

An autopsy on the victim revealed gunshot wounds along his right side and the right quarter of his back.&nbsp;

“I am proud of our incredible prosecution team who worked tirelessly on this challenging case to ensure justice was served. While the defendant claimed self-defense under the castle doctrine, the prosecution team was able to show the jury those rights do not apply just because an incident occurs near someone’s bedroom door in a shared home. The prosecution team was able to help the jury understand that roommates share common areas, where the victim was standing at the time of the shooting, and deadly force is not reasonable in those situations. The team’s work on this case shows the castle doctrine cannot be used as a blanket excuse for any act of violence inside a home,”&nbsp;Prosecutor Johnson said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624037035121.png" alt="Matlock photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Matlock photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—A jury on Friday convicted a Kansas City area man of two felonies in connection with a fatal shooting in Raytown in 2021, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.The jury convicted 47-year-old Robert E. Matlock Jr. of 2nd Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action. The jury recommended 18 years for murder and seven years for Armed Criminal Action.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2499/RMatlock_Redacted">According to court records</a>, Raytown police were dispatched to the 7700 block of Raytown Road after receiving a call from Matlock, who said he had shot his roommate who lunged at him during an argument.Police said the shooting happened at the home the two men shared as they argued over Matlock’s decision to place a lock on a door leading to Matlock’s medical marijuana kept in the garage.. Police arrived at the residence and found the victim suffering from several gunshots.&nbsp; Matlock also showed police a video from his phone, showing him shooting the victim.&nbsp;An autopsy on the victim revealed gunshot wounds along his right side and the right quarter of his back.&nbsp;“I am proud of our incredible prosecution team who worked tirelessly on this challenging case to ensure justice was served. While the defendant claimed self-defense under the castle doctrine, the prosecution team was able to show the jury those rights do not apply just because an incident occurs near someone’s bedroom door in a shared home. The prosecution team was able to help the jury understand that roommates share common areas, where the victim was standing at the time of the shooting, and deadly force is not reasonable in those situations. The team’s work on this case shows the castle doctrine cannot be used as a blanket excuse for any act of violence inside a home,”&nbsp;Prosecutor Johnson said.&nbsp;Matlock will be sentenced on March 20.

Prison for killing roommate in dispute over locked door

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to halt a judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in federal grants and loans. States say the money remains frozen even after a court blocked a sweeping pause on federal funding.

The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals turned back the emergency appeal, though it said it expected the lower court judge to act quickly to clarify his order.

The Justice Department argued the sweeping lower court order to keep all federal grants and loans flowing was “intolerable judicial overreach.”

That ruling came from U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island, the first judge to find that the administration had disobeyed a court order.

McConnell is presiding over a lawsuit from nearly two dozen states filed after the administration issued a boundary-pushing memo purporting to halt all federals grants and loans, worth trillions of dollars. The plan sparked chaos around the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to halt a judge’s order requiring the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in federal grants and loans. States say the money remains frozen even after a court blocked a sweeping pause on federal funding.The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals turned back the emergency appeal, though it said it expected the lower court judge to act quickly to clarify his order.The Justice Department argued the sweeping lower court order to keep all federal grants and loans flowing was “intolerable judicial overreach.”That ruling came from U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island, the first judge to find that the administration had disobeyed a court order.McConnell is presiding over a lawsuit from nearly two dozen states filed after the administration issued a boundary-pushing memo purporting to halt all federals grants and loans, worth trillions of dollars. The plan sparked chaos around the country.

Appeals court won’t halt order requiring Trump admin. unfreeze all federal cash

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor on Tuesday vetoed a proposed Republican-backed ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-gender-affirming-supreme-court-tennessee-c302c0e307dc1ab70f01b84bab72eaf0">gender-affirming care for transgender minors.</a>

The GOP-controlled Legislature's members had expected Gov. Laura Kelly's action because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gender-affirming-care-minors-ban-kansas-veto-b63daeec39cf26e0741569b03aa9ebe9">she vetoed</a>&nbsp;two similar bills previously. This year's measure not only would ban gender-affirming surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors but also prohibit state employees caring for children from promoting social transitioning for them.

At least 26 other states have restricted gender-affirming care for minors.

Votes last month suggested that backers of a Kansas ban have the legislative supermajorities needed to override Kelly's veto. House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Kansas City-area Democrat, acknowledged as much during a recent news conference and said opponents will ask state courts to overturn a ban.

Supporters argue that a ban would protect vulnerable children from what they've often described as a radical ideology about gender.

Transgender youth and their parents have said such care often lessens depression and suicidal tendencies.

Kelly chastised lawmakers in her veto message for what she said was their attempt to interfere with parental rights and in medical decisions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739315068850.png" alt="File photo Gov. Laura Kelly during the State of the State address last month" />
 <figcaption>File photo Gov. Laura Kelly during the State of the State address last month</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor on Tuesday vetoed a proposed Republican-backed ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-gender-affirming-supreme-court-tennessee-c302c0e307dc1ab70f01b84bab72eaf0">gender-affirming care for transgender minors.</a>The GOP-controlled Legislature's members had expected Gov. Laura Kelly's action because&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gender-affirming-care-minors-ban-kansas-veto-b63daeec39cf26e0741569b03aa9ebe9">she vetoed</a>&nbsp;two similar bills previously. This year's measure not only would ban gender-affirming surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors but also prohibit state employees caring for children from promoting social transitioning for them.At least 26 other states have restricted gender-affirming care for minors.Votes last month suggested that backers of a Kansas ban have the legislative supermajorities needed to override Kelly's veto. House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Kansas City-area Democrat, acknowledged as much during a recent news conference and said opponents will ask state courts to overturn a ban.Supporters argue that a ban would protect vulnerable children from what they've often described as a radical ideology about gender.Transgender youth and their parents have said such care often lessens depression and suicidal tendencies.Kelly chastised lawmakers in her veto message for what she said was their attempt to interfere with parental rights and in medical decisions.

Kan. governor vetoes a ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged child sex crimes involving a staff member at an elementary school in Lawrence and learned of more victims.

On Saturday, police in Lawrence launched&nbsp;an investigation into an alleged sexual assault of two students at Prairie Park Elementary, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe.

A concerned parent of one student called police Saturday morning about events that occurred during the school day on February 7. Investigators quickly uncovered evidence that led to the Saturday night arrest of 60-year-old Mark Elliott Gridley.&nbsp; &nbsp;He is a Speech and Language Pathologist at the school.

Monday morning, investigators learned of a second possible victim.&nbsp; That alleged assault also occurred Friday morning at the school.

On Tuesday, police confirmed there are more than two victims in this investigation, according to McCabe. Police did not provide an exact number. Each parental concern brought to the attention of police must be fully investigated, which takes time. 

The team of police investigators, in conjunction with experts from the Children’s Advocacy Center of Douglas County, are working to investigate all information received. 

The scope of the investigation has now expanded to include students who were not receiving services for speech at the school. Police are asking for parents of students at Prairie Park Elementary School to have a conversation with their children about any possible contact with Mark Gridley. Should concerns arise at any point in those conversations, police ask that parents stop the conversation and contact the investigations hotline set up for this investigation at (785) 830-7430.

Police are working closely with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Douglas County, USD 497 administrators, and the District Attorney’s office to ensure all expert services coordinate to uncover the complete scope of the potential harm and crimes committed.

In addition to the on-site law enforcement presence, police set up a phone line for parents who may need to report a concern about their child and any contact with Mark Gridley. The phone number is&nbsp;(785) 830-7430. In addition, police ask that any parent who may have concerns about their child’s interaction with Gridley, please contact law enforcement before discussing it in-depth with your child.

"Lawrence Police and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Douglas County are here and ready to talk to you and your child. They are trained to address these issues while limiting the traumatic impact these discussions have on young victims."

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating alleged child sex crimes involving a staff member at an elementary school in Lawrence and learned of more victims.On Saturday, police in Lawrence launched&nbsp;an investigation into an alleged sexual assault of two students at Prairie Park Elementary, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe.A concerned parent of one student called police Saturday morning about events that occurred during the school day on February 7. Investigators quickly uncovered evidence that led to the Saturday night arrest of 60-year-old Mark Elliott Gridley.&nbsp; &nbsp;He is a Speech and Language Pathologist at the school.Monday morning, investigators learned of a second possible victim.&nbsp; That alleged assault also occurred Friday morning at the school.On Tuesday, police confirmed there are more than two victims in this investigation, according to McCabe. Police did not provide an exact number. Each parental concern brought to the attention of police must be fully investigated, which takes time. The team of police investigators, in conjunction with experts from the Children’s Advocacy Center of Douglas County, are working to investigate all information received. The scope of the investigation has now expanded to include students who were not receiving services for speech at the school. Police are asking for parents of students at Prairie Park Elementary School to have a conversation with their children about any possible contact with Mark Gridley. Should concerns arise at any point in those conversations, police ask that parents stop the conversation and contact the investigations hotline set up for this investigation at (785) 830-7430.Police are working closely with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Douglas County, USD 497 administrators, and the District Attorney’s office to ensure all expert services coordinate to uncover the complete scope of the potential harm and crimes committed.In addition to the on-site law enforcement presence, police set up a phone line for parents who may need to report a concern about their child and any contact with Mark Gridley. The phone number is&nbsp;(785) 830-7430. In addition, police ask that any parent who may have concerns about their child’s interaction with Gridley, please contact law enforcement before discussing it in-depth with your child. "Lawrence Police and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Douglas County are here and ready to talk to you and your child. They are trained to address these issues while limiting the traumatic impact these discussions have on young victims."

More victims: Speech pathologist at Kan. school accused of child sex crimes

SALINA, Kan. – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has arrested Manuel Johnson-Ponce, 29, of Salina, related to his role in a Feb. 4 standoff and officer-involved shooting in Salina.

KBI agents arrested Johnson-Ponce following his release from Salina Regional Health Center. Agents then transported Johnson-Ponce to the Saline County Jail where he was booked on a warrant for three counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, two counts of criminal threat, aggravated endangering a child, domestic battery, criminal restraint, and criminal trespass.

At around 11:20 a.m. February 4, police received a call from a woman who reported an armed domestic disturbance at her home, in the 900 block of Birch Drive in Salina.

Preliminary information indicates that when officers arrived, they contacted a female subject outside the house and learned that a male subject, later identified as Manuel Johnson-Ponce, 29, of Salina, had barricaded inside the home with a three-year old child. He was making threats to the child and officers.

Around 12 p.m., SPD’s SWAT team also responded to the scene. KBI’s High Risk Warrant Team (HRWT) was requested to assist around 12:15 p.m.

During the standoff, Johnson-Ponce refused to comply with repeated commands to come out of the house. He would also not allow the toddler to leave. Around 1 p.m. an officer from SPD fired rounds striking Johnson-Ponce. Immediately following the shooting, law enforcement officers safely rescued the child from the home.

Officers rendered aid to Johnson-Ponce. EMS arrived and transported him to a local hospital. Johnson-Ponce was treated for non-life threatening injuries and is in stable condition. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1739316318130.png" alt="Johnson-Ponce photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Johnson-Ponce photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA, Kan. – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has arrested Manuel Johnson-Ponce, 29, of Salina, related to his role in a Feb. 4 standoff and officer-involved shooting in Salina.KBI agents arrested Johnson-Ponce following his release from Salina Regional Health Center. Agents then transported Johnson-Ponce to the Saline County Jail where he was booked on a warrant for three counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, two counts of criminal threat, aggravated endangering a child, domestic battery, criminal restraint, and criminal trespass.At around 11:20 a.m. February 4, police received a call from a woman who reported an armed domestic disturbance at her home, in the 900 block of Birch Drive in Salina.Preliminary information indicates that when officers arrived, they contacted a female subject outside the house and learned that a male subject, later identified as Manuel Johnson-Ponce, 29, of Salina, had barricaded inside the home with a three-year old child. He was making threats to the child and officers.Around 12 p.m., SPD’s SWAT team also responded to the scene. KBI’s High Risk Warrant Team (HRWT) was requested to assist around 12:15 p.m.During the standoff, Johnson-Ponce refused to comply with repeated commands to come out of the house. He would also not allow the toddler to leave. Around 1 p.m. an officer from SPD fired rounds striking Johnson-Ponce. Immediately following the shooting, law enforcement officers safely rescued the child from the home.Officers rendered aid to Johnson-Ponce. EMS arrived and transported him to a local hospital. Johnson-Ponce was treated for non-life threatening injuries and is in stable condition. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.This independent investigation aims to discover all events leading up to the officer-involved shooting. In police use of force cases, the KBI releases details to the public as soon as possible. This information is preliminary in nature, and is based on evidence collected and early statements of the parties involved, witnesses, medical personnel and others. It does not represent final or thorough findings which take several weeks to complete.

KBI: Suspect in Salina officer shooting moved from hospital to jail

DALLAS (AP) — The FBI on Tuesday said it discovered 2,400 new records related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jfk-assassination">assassination of former President John F. Kennedy</a>&nbsp;as federal agencies work to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order last month to release&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">thousands of files</a>.

The FBI said it's working to transfer the records to the National Archives and Records Administration to be included in the declassification process.

The federal government in the early 1990s mandated that all documents related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">Nov. 22, 1963</a>, assassination be housed in a single collection at the National Archives. And while the vast majority of the collection — over 5 million records — has been made public, researchers estimate that 3,000 files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">haven't been released,</a>&nbsp;either in whole or in part.

The FBI did not say in its statement what kind of information the newly discovered files contain. The FBI in 2020 opened a Central Records Complex and began a years-long effort to ship, electronically inventory and store closed case files from field offices across the country. The agency said a more comprehensive records inventory along with technological advances allowed it to quickly search and locate records.

Jefferson Morley, vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination, called the FBI’s disclosure of the files “refreshingly candid.”

“It shows that the FBI is serious about being transparent,” said Morley, who is also editor of the JFK Facts blog.

Morley said it sets a precedent for other agencies to come forward with documents that haven’t yet been turned over to the National Archives.

Trump's order last month directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan to release classified records related to Kennedy’s assassination. A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that as required by the order, a release plan has been submitted, but offered no details about the plan or a timeline for when records may be made available to the public.

The collection was required to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c50d6fd107534341b9fa47b9014801ab">opened by 2017,</a>&nbsp;barring any exemptions designated by the president. In his first term, Trump said he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-boasted-hed-open-all-jfk-files-but-now-says-he-cant-2f48d57f9ee045d98eb784d2295288ef">potential harm to national security</a>. And while files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-statutes-assassinations-lee-harvey-oswald-5b50bdcd246d228828b24f584ccad3ab">continued to be released</a>&nbsp;under former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, some remain unseen.

The assassination fueled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e45a1408a8274447bdba8dc34b93bfa1">conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;for decades. Kennedy was fatally shot in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">downtown Dallas</a>&nbsp;as his motorcade passed in front of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository building,</a>&nbsp;where 24-year-old assassin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c7cb2904bd954273a42c9cce1458fe42">Lee Harvey Oswald</a>&nbsp;positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days after Kennedy was killed, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.

The Warren Commission, established by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination, found that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that conclusion never quelled a web of alternative theories over the decades.

Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed,” which concludes that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c7cb2904bd954273a42c9cce1458fe42">Oswald</a>&nbsp;acted alone, said it’s possible that the newly discovered files are repeats of documents that are already in the National Archives’ collection or they could be documents the review board for the collection had previously said it didn’t want.

“If they are really new assassination documents, then it raises a whole bunch of questions about how they were missed for all of these years,” Posner said.

He said the “wow” would be if they are related to Oswald or the investigation.

The documents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-77243c0452d743d8ac62d03c253b6057">released over the past several years</a>&nbsp;from the collection have offered details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, and include CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas.

Morley said the CIA's surveillance of Oswald has been the “emerging story over the last five to 10 years." He said there could be information on that in the new files.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700660678254.png" alt="FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>FILE - In this Nov. 22, 1963 file photo, President John F. Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade approximately one minute before he was shot in Dallas. Riding with Kennedy are First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, right, Nellie Connally, second from left, and her husband, Texas Gov. John Connally, far left. (AP Photo/Jim Altgens, File)&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>DALLAS (AP) — The FBI on Tuesday said it discovered 2,400 new records related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jfk-assassination">assassination of former President John F. Kennedy</a>&nbsp;as federal agencies work to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order last month to release&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">thousands of files</a>.The FBI said it's working to transfer the records to the National Archives and Records Administration to be included in the declassification process.The federal government in the early 1990s mandated that all documents related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-51224feebb8742a8a4e604da845c7fa8">Nov. 22, 1963</a>, assassination be housed in a single collection at the National Archives. And while the vast majority of the collection — over 5 million records — has been made public, researchers estimate that 3,000 files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jfk-assassination-documents-release-trump-50ea62770b13f0ffc11ca18dde03500d">haven't been released,</a>&nbsp;either in whole or in part.The FBI did not say in its statement what kind of information the newly discovered files contain. The FBI in 2020 opened a Central Records Complex and began a years-long effort to ship, electronically inventory and store closed case files from field offices across the country. The agency said a more comprehensive records inventory along with technological advances allowed it to quickly search and locate records.Jefferson Morley, vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination, called the FBI’s disclosure of the files “refreshingly candid.”“It shows that the FBI is serious about being transparent,” said Morley, who is also editor of the JFK Facts blog.Morley said it sets a precedent for other agencies to come forward with documents that haven’t yet been turned over to the National Archives.Trump's order last month directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan to release classified records related to Kennedy’s assassination. A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that as required by the order, a release plan has been submitted, but offered no details about the plan or a timeline for when records may be made available to the public.The collection was required to be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/c50d6fd107534341b9fa47b9014801ab">opened by 2017,</a>&nbsp;barring any exemptions designated by the president. In his first term, Trump said he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/trump-boasted-hed-open-all-jfk-files-but-now-says-he-cant-2f48d57f9ee045d98eb784d2295288ef">potential harm to national security</a>. And while files&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-statutes-assassinations-lee-harvey-oswald-5b50bdcd246d228828b24f584ccad3ab">continued to be released</a>&nbsp;under former President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>, some remain unseen.The assassination fueled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e45a1408a8274447bdba8dc34b93bfa1">conspiracy theories</a>&nbsp;for decades. Kennedy was fatally shot in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-298388ef0d6e41d98a47c70c86c64788">downtown Dallas</a>&nbsp;as his motorcade passed in front of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/travel-and-tourism-e9f33c5e647d45149c1738d64ea0e3c5">Texas School Book Depository building,</a>&nbsp;where 24-year-old assassin&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c7cb2904bd954273a42c9cce1458fe42">Lee Harvey Oswald</a>&nbsp;positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days after Kennedy was killed, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.The Warren Commission, established by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination, found that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that conclusion never quelled a web of alternative theories over the decades.Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed,” which concludes that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c7cb2904bd954273a42c9cce1458fe42">Oswald</a>&nbsp;acted alone, said it’s possible that the newly discovered files are repeats of documents that are already in the National Archives’ collection or they could be documents the review board for the collection had previously said it didn’t want.“If they are really new assassination documents, then it raises a whole bunch of questions about how they were missed for all of these years,” Posner said.He said the “wow” would be if they are related to Oswald or the investigation.The documents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-77243c0452d743d8ac62d03c253b6057">released over the past several years</a>&nbsp;from the collection have offered details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, and include CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas.Morley said the CIA's surveillance of Oswald has been the “emerging story over the last five to 10 years." He said there could be information on that in the new files.___Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and David Klepper contributed reporting from Washington.